Rent a Kill-A-Watt Power Monitor from Us!
I discovered the Kill-A-Watt Meter back in 2012 when I was working as the Commercial Program Coordinator at the Local Energy Alliance Program LEAP. Their head building analyst, Guy Caroselli, toted the simple-to-use tool for households he would visit for Home Energy Check-Ups.
Especially good at detecting super inefficient appliances like old freezers or 24-7 plugged in electronic devices, it can accurately and easily show you the operating costs of your appliances by the day, week, month, and year.
In this short video, our Residential Program Manager, Andrea Bostrom, demonstrates how she used the Kill A Watt EZ to measure three appliances in her kitchen and home office. Definitely take a peak.
Why Monitor Power?
With busy lives, we plug appliances and electronic devices in and then largely forget about them. But that could be costing us. Plug loads have increased in recent years due to the number of electronic and entertainment devices households have. With this tool, you can take an inventory of the appliances to really prioritize your energy savings actions.
Andrea’s Key Takeaways from Using the Kill a Watt meter
1. Don’t sweat the small stuff that’s not using any standby power.
The first time I heard someone tell me that my coffee-maker was still using energy even when it was off, I didn’t believe them. But it turns out that coffee makers with display lights and clocks do use a trace amount of energy when they’re plugged in. Andrea’s turned out to NOT use any power; but, as she mentions, it’s still worth a quick survey with the Kill-A-Watt meter to determine which ones DO use power and HOW MUCH.
2. Smart powerstrips with timers or sensors could be a minimal investment ($25 or less) that will pay back small rewards that will add up over time.
Why rely on fallible human behavior when you could be automating your plug loads with smart powerstrips or even smart plugs that you can turn on or off through a phone app or voice activation?
3. Knowing your most inefficient household appliances helps you prioritize and monetize the payback of a larger investments on things like an Energy Star refrigerator or washer/dryer.
The three biggest energy user appliances in the home are the refrigerator, your clothes washer, and your dryer. Depending on the age of these appliances, you could be wasting a lot of water and energy. Energystar.gov has a treasure trove of resources to help you evaluate a purchase. If you do decide to make the switch, the EPA’s Responsible Appliance Disposal website can help or give a shout to Gerdau scrap metal recycling or Rivanna Solid Waste Authority’s Household Bulky Waste Disposal dates which happen twice a year.
Email andrea@theclimatecollaborative.org or just fill out this form and we’ll deliver the Kill-A-Watt meter to your doorstep (as long as you live in the City or County)! Many thanks Earth Day Network for making this available to our community for FREE.
More Resources:
The stats in this article (USGBC learning lab) for standby mode appliances
This is a good breakdown of typical home energy use
Want to go the extra home energy technology mile with smart home technology? Check this out home energy monitor: https://energycurb.com/